A view of the Indian Point nuclear power plant photographed from the sloop Clearwater April 6, 2011. ( Joe Larese / The Journal News )

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TARRYTOWN — Three federal administrative judges on Monday tried to get a clearer understanding of Entergy Nuclear’s maintenance of the pipes beneath its Indian Point nuclear power plant.

The judges, part of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, grilled federal regulators and Entergy employees as to how and when the pipes are inspected and whether any specific procedures are documented. While a Nuclear Regulatory Commission engineer and an Entergy technical manager maintained the company correctly followed a generic plan, the judges seemed to press for more.

“Without knowing exactly how you’re going to do it, how can we be sanguine” that your management will be adequate, head judge Lawrence McDade asked.

An independent arm of the NRC, the judges are presiding over a review of technical, environmental and safety issues associated with Entergy’s application to renew Indian Point’s two 40-year operating licenses. The licenses expire next year and in 2015 and Entergy has applied for 20-year extensions.

The hearing ran for five days in October and other sessions are expected in 2013. The NRC will use the judges’ recommendation when deciding on Entergy’s application.

Whether Entergy is appropriately taking care of its underground pipes was an issue raised by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office. The pipes could contain radioactively contaminated fluids or substances like fuel oil or water.

In 2009, plant workers replaced a broken pipe that was leaking water containing a very low concentration of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The NRC said the leak wasn’t a hazard to the public or workers.

In pre-filed written testimony, the state claimed Entergy isn’t up to the task. “Entergy does not know the current state of its buried and underground pipes,” the state wrote.

But Entergy and a senior mechanical engineer with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission disagreed.

“Entergy’s testimony provides reasonable assurance that (Indian Point’s) buried piping will adequately perform its intended function” during the next 20 years, the company wrote.

William Holston of the NRC testified that Entergy’s inspection program “is not doomed to failure” as a witness for the state maintained.

The various systems could be inspected dozens of times in a 10-year period under current procedures, he said. Entergy will also sample and analyze soil around its pipes to determine if it is corrosive.